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Friday, October 31, 2014

Uproar over US troops' Ebola quarantine in Italy

The decision to put a dozen American soldiers returning from Liberia into quarantine for Ebola at their base near Venice rather than in the United States sparked controversy in Italy on Wednesday.

"They shouldn't have been sent here, they should do their quarantine for Ebola at home," said the president of the region's assembly, Luca Zaia, insisting "it would have been more respectful" of the United States to have "thought about the risks posed to local citizens".

The Messaggero daily spoke of fears among the local population, with a rise in the number of calls to the emergency services from worried citizens.

Soldiers from the base being given a wide berth in nearby pubs.

Zaia, a member of the anti-immigrant Northern League party, was not the only one to object to the US decision to quarantine the soldiers in Italy.

"The government must send all the US soldiers back to Washington," the anti-establishment Five Star party said, according to media reports.